Home improvement businesses face a unique challenge in marketing themselves to potential customers.

Businesses offering services like loft conversions, double glazing, conservatories, landscaping, kitchens and bathrooms face widespread competition, some of it from larger retailers which can offer low prices thanks to greater economies of scale.

At the other end of the market, less reputable businesses can damage the reputation of the home improvement sector through poor workmanship or unethical marketing practices like cold calling.

Marketing channels available to home improvement businesses are often costly and hard to measure, such as local press or phone directory advertising.

Yet the effort in marketing can be worthwhile, with a typically high average spend per successful order. So how can a home improvement business stand out from the crowd, whilst achieving a good return on its marketing investment?

Direct marketing tools and methods can often offer the answer. Because it’s more measurable than other marketing methods, direct marketing is more measurable and it can be targeted more closely to those potential consumers most likely to buy your home improvement services.

Here are some of the ways in which direct marketing can help:

1. Planning

Before any direct marketing campaign you have to carry out some planning. For a home improvement business this can involve analysing your existing customers to see what they have in common. Using tools like Easycheck list profiling software (www.selectabase.co.uk/i-have-a-list/easycheck) you can discover more about your customer’s interests, likes, dislikes and lifestyle just from their postcode. Also look at there they are based and what type of home they live in, to help identify potential markets.

Once you’ve analysed your existing customers you can put them into different groups, or segments, and then prioritise which groups are of most importance to you.

For example, if you are a landscaper, you might want to target properties in local areas that you know have larger sized gardens. Double glazing companies may want to target homeowners in coastal or exposed areas, where their properties are more likely to suffer from the elements. Loft conversion or conservatory companies could target growing families likely to need more living space.

2. Direct Mail

Once you’ve identified your target segment, or segments, you can source lists of more people of the same type.

There are numerous reputable mailing lists available that you can select data from. For example the Consumer Profiles list (www.selectabase.co.uk/lists/consumer/) which allows you to target potential customers by lifestyle, Silver Prospects (www.selectabase.co.uk/ppc/grey-market-silver-prospects-list.aspx) is a specialist list of retired older people, and Recently Moved (www.selectabase.co.uk/recentlymoved/) provides a monthly list of people who’ve just moved into your local area.

Mail these lists with a good quality mailer, personalised to each person, explaining clearly why you are approaching them and the benefits of what you have to offer; price, service, testimonials, knowledge etc. Include a clear call to action and offer a no hassle free quotation.

Mailings can also be used successfully to drive traffic to your website, where people can see more about your business and obtain a quote online.

3. Telemarketing

Unsolicited telemarketing, or cold calling as its also known, has done much to tarnish the reputation of the home improvement industry.

However if you have your own list of leads, enquiries or prospects that you plan to phone, you can do so as long as you check each number first to see if it is registered with the Telephone Preference Service. You can check numbers as you go using an online service like www.selectabase.co.uk/1check/ or you can clean your list each month using software like Easycheck.

Also, it is completely acceptable to follow up a mailing to a rented list with a brief courtesy call asking if the homeowner received the information and if it was of interest. If it’s bought from a reputable source, your list will have been screened against the TPS just before you buy it.

It’s worth spending time briefing the person who makes the call to make sure they have good product knowledge and know how they should represent your business.

Summary
In summary, direct marketing methods provide great opportunities for home improvement businesses to identify and target relevant potential customers on an individual basis, without the interference of competitor’s messages that you find with press advertising.

Results can be measured precisely, and the results used to guide future mailings or campaigns. And if direct marketing is carried out in a high quality and reputable way, consumers will see that your home improvement business is going to provide a high quality service.

Home Improvement or home renovation is the process of renovating or making additions to one’s home. We all like changes in our life whether it about new place, new job, new home or improving the old. Home Improvement has become an essential expense for every one.

This is due to simple change can alter the whole look of your home. Renovating a kitchen is the popular room to start Home decoration. Kitchen Improvement often focus on the accessories, the flooring, windows and walls are also important to the design. It is also the most the most used part of home.

Home improvement may include rebuilding your attic, basement, bathroom, decks and patios, doors, drywall, kitchen and roofing. It is a total makeover for your home.

Here are some Home Improvement tips.

1.Design and plan for your reconstructions. Make it to the point so that design and plan will fit in your budget.
2.Make sure that you built a sturdy foundation, roof, siding and windows so as to avoid problems in your future remake.
3.Start with the demolition parts that you want to remake or remodel. Moving ahead, you will now have to deal with structural carpentry. Experts will help you in this.
4.You can install flooring after making other renovations so as to avoid damage on your flooring surface. Now this is the time to make your interior designs.
5.Finally, you can put the additions like: sun room or swimming pool.

If you choose a professional company for renovating, make sure that company is licensed and they are using quality materials .The cost involved will depend upon the current state of the area, the quality materials used, size and your budget involved. Home loans are used to finance improvements on your house or property. These loans are used to maintain or increase the value of your home. There are several different loan and financing types available:

First mortgage
Second mortgage loans
Unsecured loans
Grants

You should have a detailed plan for the home improvement before considering the loan .Home renovations can be fun and gratifying, particularly when done right.

If you’re thinking about making minor upgrades or improvements to your home and you can handle the expense from your income or savings, you shouldn’t concern yourself with taking out a loan. But, if your home improvement project is large enough to consider it a home renovation, you may not be able to complete the project without financial assistance. As a homeowner, you might want to consider the advantage of a secured home improvement loan.

The first thing you should compare before choosing any home improvement loan are the interest rates. The main advantage of a secured home improvement loan is the interest rate, which tends to be lower than an unsecured loan. Secured home improvement loans are backed, or secured, with the homeowner’s property and the equity in your home determines the amount of the loan.

Interest rates can vary widely since many lenders in the financial market now offer secured home improvement loans. Many potential lenders offer websites to apply for a loan online. This may save you the stress of having to meet the lenders personally. You can fill out the application online. Most lenders have a quick response time and this will allow you to compare the interest rates of a number of lenders in a short amount of time.

Keep in mind that secured home improvement loans are generally approved for a specific use. Any approved loan money spent that doesn’t appear to be related to the original loan purpose stated may cause you to receive a substantial penalty. Due to the special purpose requirement of many secured home improvement loans, your lender may ask you to give detailed documentation about the projects for home improvement that will take place. Lenders are more likely to approve projects that will increase the value of the property which, in turn, increases the equity on your home. Any increase on the value of the property being used to secure the loan will increase the value of the asset backing the loan and that’s mutually beneficial to both the homeowner and the lender.

As long as you have specific home improvement projects in mind, the advantage of a secured home improvement loan outweighs the annoyance of keeping detailed records of your expenditures. If you are unsure about the exact financial requirement of your home improvement project, have an architect or other professional estimate your financial need. They can help you calculate the amount of money you will need before applying for a secured home improvement loan.

Even though home improvement is pretty straightforward most of the time, it is important to carefully follow instructions in order to successfully complete a home improvement task. Many home improvement jobs take a lot of time to complete. This will be time well spent, since each home improvement or repair you make will increase your home’s value. Home improvement is clear-cut, but takes patience and requires that you follow instructions to the detail.

It is imperative that you closely follow the instructions when repairing or remodeling. Written instructions will provide you with the steps to correctly complete the project and avoid problems. And make sure to keep any receipts for materials and tools you buy incase you need to return or exchange the merchandise.

The first rule of home improvement is to learn as much as you can before starting a project. For example, if you are planning on hanging drywall in a room in your home, you need to know exactly what materials you will need, in addition to the steps used to complete the job. You will also need to know what about wallpaper, tiles, paint, or other materials to finish a wall job.

Most any home improvement job will increase the value of your home. That is why it is important to be very methodical when you start a home improvement project; you should take notes, create files, and plan every step of the job.

Budgeting and planning are two other important steps in any home improvement project. If you do not have a plan, you will likely spend more money than you need to, buy the wrong materials, take longer to complete the project, and make errors along the way.

Depending on the type of home improvement project you are planning, it could be rather straightforward. However, some home improvement projects are easier than others. Ease of completion does not equal less cost, however.

For wall improvement projects, paint, panel and tile are sometimes easier than wallpapering. Tiles come in multiple choices, including self-adhesive, or peel and stick. However, if you have damage to your walls, such as holes, you will require spackle and a few other materials to patch the area before finishing the walls.

When repairing or remodeling a basement, the same rules apply and then some. Michigan and Kentucky basements are known to be the worst for home improvement, mostly because those areas are highly prone to flooding. Improvement or repair projects in basements often require special considerations for insulation, and can often cost more money and require a little more time to complete a job. Basements in newer home tend to have fewer problems, thanks to advances in construction.

Making improvements or repairs in a bathroom requires a whole unique set of tools and knowledge. Dealing with plumbing and electrical issues are the trickiest parts of home improvement, because they often require a certain level of expertise, and even professionals have been known to make mistakes. That is why educating yourself before beginning a home improvement or repair project is imperative.

A big rule to follow in home improvement is to clear whatever area you are working in completely before beginning the job. This will prevent accidents and things from getting damaged or destroyed. It is also imperative that you use safety equipment, such as dust masks, gloves, and goggles when doing any kind of home improvement or repair project.

For most people,home is quite important.After owning a home ,we must pay atteention to the home improvement,which makes our home clean, comfortable, convenient and perfect. Maybe,in your mind it is a easy thing. But when you have read this article, you may have a new review.

The first thing you must know is that you should inspect your home periodically. If you can not find minor problems before they become serious enough to cause damage, you must hire people to maintain it which takes you o lot of money. Once you want repair by yourself, you can reffer to sites on the web suggesting tips about effective home repair improvement.

When you decide to hire someone for the home repair improvement work, make sure that the person under consideration is a competent expert in the trade. Depending upon the scope and size of the home repair improvement project you have, select a general contractor or a specialist.

The next thing must be regarded is payment options in the home repair improvement work, ake sure that you have an idea about the limit of down payment. Try to make payments during the project contingent upon completion of a defined amount of work. You should mot pay the final payment or sign an affidavit of final release ntil you are satisfied with the work .This can give you a perfect results.

It is necessary to make a written contract signed by both the parties before starting the home repair improvement work. Make sure that every term and condition is agreed upon and is free of any loop holes. When the work is over,you must check every detail and everything. If there is something wrong ,you have right to ask them do it again until you satisfy with it.. After that ,you can pay the final payment.

After the home repair improvement work, if you have any difference of opinion, you can solve it by speaking with the contractor directly. Above all, during the home repair improvement work,you must be patient, careful with it, and listen to what experts say.